Austar is up 51% on the previous quarter and 441% on the same time last year, following the suspension of operations due to the underground incident of April 2014.

Ashton’s consistent production rates for the reporting period overcame the preceding quarter’s technical issues, achieving production results up 72% on the first quarter and 23% year-on-year.

The strong result offset the scheduled longwall move which began at the end of the quarter, with production resuming early in the third quarter.

Sales volumes (equity share) for the reporting period were 4.82 million tonnes, up 32% on the previous quarter and up 26% on the year prior.

Abel was down 5% on the first quarter and 17% year-on-year, with production rates impaired by ongoing geological challenges in the development area.

Moolarben open cut production was up 8% on the year prior and down 2% on the previous quarter, with improved fleet efficiencies and overburden extraction rates offsetting operational slow-downs resulting from poor weather conditions during the reporting period.

Moolarben continued to develop Mod 9, with first coal mining scheduled for July. An adjustment to the Mine Plan was required after a high wall slip impacted the operation in early June, with wet weather continuing to delay recovery work and coal mining in the affected area.